NewZealand, South Island

Te Anau, New Zealand

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +1200

We were planning to leave for Te Anau since Raphael uncle and family were heading back. We had booked a glowworm cave tour, but in the morning I got an email saying it was cancelled because of the weather. Since that plan fell through, we decided to spend a bit more time together before separating. We picked up our rental car, loaded all our luggage, and drove to the other side of the lake for a short walk. It was a nice, calm way to start the day. After that, we left for Te Anau. Our first stop was Jack’s Point, where we paused to make sure all our maps and plans for the trip ahead were sorted. The drive along the lake was really beautiful. With the glowworm tour cancelled, we weren’t in a rush and took it slow. The drive took around two to two and a half hours. We stopped at Garston for coffee and a quick bite at The Coffee Bomb. The coffee and burgers were really good and refreshing. Most of the drive was surrounded by greenery, acres of meadows with sheep grazing. What I loved most was putting the car on cruise control and just enjoying the ride. We reached our motel around 5.30 pm. After settling in, we went to the nearby town centre to grab groceries for our meals. We had a big day ahead with Milford Sound planned, which meant another two hour drive one way.

View from Jacks Point

Closeburn, New Zealand

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +1200

Glenorchy, New Zealand

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +1200

Queenstown

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +1200

We landed in Queenstown around noon and went straight to get something to eat. Had a really good quiche with coffee, and honestly the vanilla milkshake was amazing — it was so good it took two of us to finish it. After that we checked into the Airbnb and just relaxed for a bit. Raphael uncle and family came over around 4–4:30, which was really nice and made things feel more settled. Later in the evening we went for a walk around Lake Queenstown and nearby spots. The views were beautiful and we took a bunch of photos. It felt calm and grounding, just being there. We ended the day with dinner at Margo’s (great Mexican) and then a quick dessert from Patagonia before heading back.

Stunning Southern Alps welcoming us..

Had this delicious quiche along with a coffee and a vanila milkshake

Beautiful view of Queenstown from our airbnb

8x zoom in iphone is great

17pro

The Three Musketeers

A filing dinner from Margos.